RED ALERT: Wildfire in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park

Since Tuesday, a wildfire in Parque Nacional Torres del Paine has consumed at least 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) of forest and forced the evacuation of 400 tourists from the Western sector of the park.

The fire began near the Río Olguín, between Glaciar Gray and Pehoé.

Conaf, Chile’s national park administration, has declared a red alert in that area of Torres del Paine. Over 100 firefighters from Chile and Argentina are on the ground battling the blaze, and helicopters have been called in. High winds, registering up to 95 kilometers per hour (59 mph), are exacerbating the situation.

According to Chile’s tourism board, Sernatur, the popular W Circuit is within the affected area. Hikers are to avoid the Pehoé, Grey and CampamentoItaliano trails. The old Pehoé refuge has burned and Lodge Paine Grande is threatened.

The Eastern sector of Torres del Paine National Park remains open. However, visitors to the reserve are advised to keep up on the news with the above agencies, Radio Polar or La Prensa Austral. Erratic rock in Puerto Natales is also an excellent source.

The cause of the fire is not immediately known, though it was not caused by lightning strike, as lightening does not occur in those latitudes. In recent weeks, the region has had warm, dry weather. There have been no injuries or deaths related to the fire.